NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks released a new mock draft of the first round. The Cardinals have the third overall pick, and he has them going with an offensive lineman.
The Senior Bowl was last week, and the Arizona Cardinals now have a new head coach. We can now begin to firmly look ahead toward the NFL draft.
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks released a new mock draft of the first round.
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The Cardinals have the third overall pick, and he has them going with an offensive lineman.
The Cardinals must determine if Kyler Murray remains the franchise quarterback. If his time in the desert is indeed done, as many have speculated, the lack of QB depth in the 2026 draft class could prompt the team to look elsewhere for help at the game’s most important position. In this case, Arizona adds a foundational piece to its struggling offensive line, which contributed to a 38.7% pressure allowed rate — the fourth-highest mark in the league in 2025, per Next Gen Stats.
This pick makes sense. The Cardinals need to figure out the quarterback situation, but they won’t likely be selecting one in the first round. They have questions at as many as four starting spots on the offensive line, so landing Fano to lock down right tackle would be a great plan to pair with Paris Johnson.
However, while the pick makes sense, it would mean breaking from a three-year trend. The Cardinals have only selected players from the SEC and Big Ten in the first and second rounds in three years with Monti Ossenfort as general manager.
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Knowing that, someone like linebacker Arvell Reese out of Ohio State makes sense, but he goes second overall in these projections.
Ossenfort obviously could break from his tradition, but it will be something to watch as we approach the draft in the mweeks to come.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Utah Republican lawmakers are running legislation directing Salt Lake City to make changes to city roads with state oversight for a second year. The action, included in an extensive transportation …
The Salt Lake City & County Building in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
Utah Republican lawmakers are running legislation directing Salt Lake City to make changes to city roads with state oversight for a second year. The action, included in an extensive transportation bill, may have an impact on recently installed bike and bus lanes, but may also change how the state supervises city streets.
It also brought back chatter about the state potentially exerting more control over local governments, especially in Democrat-led Salt Lake City.
The bill, sponsored by Taylorsville Republican Sen. Wayne Harper, mandates that Salt Lake City enter an agreement with the Utah Department of Transportation before implementing programs designed to reduce the amount of cars travelling on a highway. The city must also submit plans to “mitigate the impacts of traffic calming measures and highway reduction strategies previously implemented” on different downtown roads, including 300 West, 200 South and 400 South.
Harper emphasized the word “mitigate” when speaking to reporters on Wednesday about the potential removal of bike and bus lanes.
“The request that I’ve gotten is to have Salt Lake City to go through and take a look at all that they’ve done — and they’re amenable to this — take a look and see what’s working good with that,” Harper said. “And are there some negative things that they can go through and tweak in order to make it so that safety is enhanced?”
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That request, he said, comes from businesses that have complained about limited access to their facilities caused by traffic mitigation tools the city has installed.
Before Jan 1, 2027, Salt Lake City and UDOT must also agree on the designation of street tiers, going from regionally significant highways to the lowest-volume residential roads.
The first tier, which would have the highest traffic, would be blocked from city-led highway reduction strategies, while tier two roads could qualify for programs to reduce the amount of cars travelling on a highway, but only after completing certain studies and receiving a nod from UDOT.
Let us know what you think…
To a question on whether the legislation would feed the perception of a state takeover of the city’s say on its streets, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said lawmakers are “simply responding to constituents.”
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For Adams, capital cities are different, since not everyone who works in them lives within their boundaries.
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“The capital city is a spot where people gather. So we need to make sure (for) those coming (that) it could function,” he told reporters.
“We’ve committed a lot of resources, so I think it’s in our best interest to make sure those resources function well, and the city functions right,” Adams said.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement the city is committed to partnering with the state, UDOT and the Utah Transit Authority to support a strong regional transportation network serving everyone.
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“Although we believe this goal can be achieved without additional legislation, we appreciate the Legislature’s willingness to collaborate and believe we have identified solutions that serve all stakeholders,” Mendenhall said.
Nothing in the bill says the bike and bus lanes must be removed, Harper said, “they just have to make sure that it is not causing an impediment to the pedestrians, the bicyclists, or to the drivers that would deteriorate safety.”
And Salt Lake City leaders are committed to making changes, Harper said, a fact Mendenhall confirmed.
“I would characterize the discussions as good faith and collaborative. I am appreciative of them,” Mendenhall said.
With national signing day taking a backseat to the early signing period, the Utah football program’s 2026 recruiting class has been finalized for essentially th …
With national signing day taking a backseat to the early signing period, the Utah football program’s 2026 recruiting class has been finalized for essentially the past two months.
The few prospects who announce their college decisions on Wednesday likely won’t have any impact on the Utes, given Morgan Scalley and company’s top targets put pen to paper back in December.
Not much has changed since then — except for the fact that one of Utah’s top signees, Salesi Moa, decided to enter the transfer portal upon enrolling in classes at Utah in January, clearing a path for the four-star athlete from Fremont High School (Utah) to join Kyle Whittingham and Michigan instead.
Moa was the only 2026 signee to back out of their commitment to Utah in the wake of the program’s coaching changes, leaving the Utes with a 16-player recruiting class that was ranked No. 38 nationally and No. 5 in the Big 12 by 247Sports.
Kelvin Obot, Offensive Tackle — Fruitland High School
Star rating: Four-star
Final national rank: No. 41
Previous national rank: No. 21
Position rank: No. 7
Kelvin Obot actually dropped 20 spots in 247Sports’ national rankings, though the standout from Fruitland High School (Idaho) still checked in as a top-10 offensive tackle prospect and one of the top 50 recruits in the 2026 class. He also held onto his designations as the No. 1 player in the state of Idaho and the highest-graded Utah signee in the history of 247Sports’ recruiting database.
As one of Utah’s early enrollees, Obot will have the next couple of months to get extra prepared for the collegiate level and adjust to the college lifestyle. Given his reputation and skillset, there’s a high chance he’ll be asked to make an immediate impact for the Utes as a freshman. It’ll be interesting to monitor his development as he works with his former high school coach and current Utah offensive line coach, Jordan Gross.
Mataalii Benjamin, Offensive Tackle — Lehi High School
Star rating: Four-star
Final national rank: No. 199
Previous national rank: No. 477
Position rank: No. 22
Mataalii Benjamin was one of the highest-rising offensive tackle prospects in 247Sports’ final 2026 rankings, as the Lehi High School (Utah) standout catapulted 278 spots and landed inside the recruiting service’s top 200 players in the class.
Benjamin will arrive at Utah’s campus as the top-rated recruit from the state of Utah to sign with the Utes in the 2026 cycle, as he checks in as the state’s No. 7 prospect overall and No. 1 offensive tackle.
Having started at right tackle in high school, Benjamin will likely do more of the same at the collegiate level.
LaMarcus Bell — Running Back, Lake Oswego High School
Star rating: Three-star
Final national rank: No. 544 (composite)
Position rank: No. 29
LaMarcus Bell put pen to paper with the Utes during the early signing period as one of the top running backs on the West Coast. He held several power conference offers, including one from Oregon, but opted to shut down his recruitment after the Ducks tried to flip his commitment.
Following an impressive senior season at Lake Oswego High School (Oregon), Bell was tabbed as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Oregon and a first-team all-West running back by USA Today. He finished the 2025 season with 1,603 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, averaging an astonishing 11.7 yards per carry.
Utah potentially already has an every-down back in Wayshawn Parker, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bell get a share of carries as a freshman, either.
Rounding Out Utah’s 2026 Class
The remainder of Utah’s 2026 class consists of 13 signees, all of whom are ranked as three-star prospects by 247Sports.
For the first time since the 2022 offseason when they parted ways with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz are making headlines for being a party in a blockbuster trade, as, on Tuesday, …
For the first time since the 2022 offseason when they parted ways with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz are making headlines for being a party in a blockbuster trade, as, on Tuesday, they packaged Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three future first-round picks to obtain the services of Jaren Jackson Jr. (among others).
From a value perspective, this seems like a fair price to pay for a multi-time All-Star. Anderson and Niang seem like cool dudes, but they are functionally matching salary at this point in time. Hendricks (age 22) wasn’t getting consistent tick on a 15-35 team, so it didn’t seem like he factored too heavily into their long-term plans anyway. Clayton seems to have the makeup of a long-time NBA rotation player, but the strides taken by Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier made him easily expendable. And while the third first round picks seems excessive, don’t forget that just seven months ago the Orlando Magic had to part with four of those to land Jackson’s less-accomplished former teammate.
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But just because a trade is a win in isolation doesn’t mean it necessarily pushes your franchise in the right direction. How does Jackson fit in with what the Jazz have spent the last four years building? And does he bring them one step closer to contention?
Utah Jazz cap situation after acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr.
It’s easier to trade for him now while he’s making $35 million. His salary balloons to $49 million next season.
They still have plenty of tax space to take one bad money and picks with the John Collins trade exception. pic.twitter.com/0xlx7y9S0u
How Jaren Jackson Jr. Fits On The Current Utah Jazz
With the Jazz needing to finish in the top eight in the Draft Lottery to keep their 2026 first round pick, they probably aren’t in the business of winning too many games for the remainder of the season. Before being moved, Jackson was dealing with a quad injury that kept him out of their Saturday loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to milk nagging injuries like that to sit him out and keep him from unnecessarily contributing to wins.
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Still, while draft capital is important, you also need to build a culture of winning. In 2020-21, the 23-49 Minnesota Timberwolves famously won 6 of their last 11 games. Doing this cost them their first round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (which ended up being Jonathan Kuminga), but they also haven’t missed the playoffs since.
Jackson – a former Defensive Player of the Year – automatically gives the Jazz a defensive building block. Utah is going on their third straight season as the worst defense in the entire NBA. Jackson’s defensive footprint isn’t as mighty as it was when he took home the DPOY award in 2022-23, but that can mainly be explained by the increased offensive load that his team’s myriad of injuries forced him to endure. Now that he has two new reliable co-stars both averaging over 24 PPG (George and Lauri Markkanen), Jackson can focus on returning to his defensive roots.
How Does Jaren Jackson Jr. Align With The Utah Jazz’s Future?
Of course, the real reason a team that is 20 games under .500 makes a move like this is with an eye toward the future.
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To understand the scope of having both Jackson and Markkanen on the roster, think about two of the league’s most exciting rising stars: Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama. What makes them so exciting is their rare combination of size and skill. That’s the same reason why everyone and their mothers was trying to pry Markkanen from the Jazz when they looked directionless.
Now, the Jazz have two of these unicorns. Think about the endless possibilities this creates for the Jazz and their mad scientist head coach, Will Hardy. With Markkanen and Jackson as your four and five, you have two giants who can space the floor (both career 35.9% 3-point shooters), score in the paint, and put the ball on the floor. Jackson can make up for Markkanen’s rim protection limitations, and Markkanen’s off-ball gravity will create openings for Jackson that he’s never had before. This is all without getting into all the big-to-big actions Hardy can run involving these two.
Thanks to their shooting and ball skill, the idea of starting them at the three and four is tenable when Walker Kessler returns from his torn labrum next season. In 2021-22, when Markkanen shared the floor with the Cleveland Cavaliers’ twin towers (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen), the team had a +7.9 net rating in 621 minutes (per PBP Stats). Jackson is a better shooter than both of those guys were, so the fit between him, Markkanen, and Kessler should be even more seamless.
Jaren’s best lineup pairings over the last 5 years…
a great player, but play him next to a solid rebounding big, and he can be a star. I expect great things out of the Kessler-Jackson duo pic.twitter.com/7IG5tCGKDz
George has been one of the most improved players in the league this season. Collier has gone from one of the least efficient players in the association to someone who can be counted on to bolster second units when George is on the bench (57.2% true shooting, 49th percentile). Ace Bailey is your typical rookie. So, his advanced stats look terrible and his tape is littered with learning experiences, but the dude is just 19 years old, huge (6’9 with a 7’0.5 wingspan), can score with the best of them, and has had some nice moments as a cutter in Hardy’s movement-heavy offense (1st in assist percentage).
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Utah still has an extreme case of the hour glass problem. They have drafted some great guards, and this Jackson trade solidifies their big man rotation for the next half decade. But they still need a couple wings to truly field a complete roster.
Even without any offseason moves, a healthy version of the Jazz will compete for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference in 2026-27. And if they can find the right wing (or two) to compliment all these tantalizing pieces, Utah may be back on the map a lot sooner than we expected.
Utah Valley plays the Abilene Christian Wildcats after Trevan Leonhardt scored 20 points in Utah Valley’s 83-55 victory over the Tarleton State Texans.
Abilene Christian Wildcats (10-11, 2-6 WAC) at Utah Valley Wolverines (16-6, 6-3 WAC)
Orem, Utah; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Utah Valley takes on Abilene Christian after Trevan Leonhardt scored 20 points in Utah Valley’s 83-55 win over the Tarleton State Texans.
The Wolverines have gone 10-0 in home games. Utah Valley averages 19.3 assists per game to lead the WAC, paced by Leonhardt with 6.0.
The Wildcats are 2-6 against WAC opponents. Abilene Christian ranks seventh in the WAC with 18.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Bradyn Hubbard averaging 3.6.
Utah Valley’s average of 7.0 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.9 more made shots on average than the 6.1 per game Abilene Christian allows. Abilene Christian has shot at a 44.7% clip from the field this season, 4.1 percentage points higher than the 40.6% shooting opponents of Utah Valley have averaged.
The Wolverines and Wildcats square off Thursday for the first time in conference play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tyler Hendricks averages 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Wolverines, scoring 11.6 points while shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc. Jackson Holcombe is shooting 52.0% and averaging 17.0 points over the last 10 games.
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Hubbard is scoring 15.5 points per game and averaging 4.8 rebounds for the Wildcats. Rich Smith is averaging 14.1 points and 4.0 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wolverines: 7-3, averaging 83.2 points, 35.6 rebounds, 18.8 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.3 points per game.
Wildcats: 3-7, averaging 70.3 points, 24.5 rebounds, 13.3 assists, 9.4 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.5 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Utah Tech hosts UT Arlington after Noah Bolanga scored 23 points in Utah Tech’s 65-59 win over the Tarleton State Texans.
The Trailblazers have gone 7-2 in home games. Utah Tech is seventh in the WAC with 8.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Ethan Potter averaging 2.5.
The Mavericks have gone 6-3 against WAC opponents. UT Arlington has a 1-0 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
Utah Tech averages 76.6 points, 10.4 more per game than the 66.2 UT Arlington gives up. UT Arlington has shot at a 44.6% rate from the field this season, 0.8 percentage points higher than the 43.8% shooting opponents of Utah Tech have averaged.
The Trailblazers and Mavericks square off Thursday for the first time in conference play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jusaun Holt is averaging 10.6 points and 3.3 assists for the Trailblazers. Potter is averaging 14.9 points over the last 10 games.
Marcell McCreary averages 1.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Mavericks, scoring 13.9 points while shooting 36.0% from beyond the arc. Raysean Seamster is averaging 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and two steals over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Trailblazers: 6-4, averaging 74.1 points, 30.2 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 7.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.6 points per game.
Mavericks: 7-3, averaging 72.1 points, 34.8 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 7.8 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.6 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Utah men’s basketball team has seven international players on its 2025-26 roster. Of those foreign talents, two — Jacob Patrick (Germany) and Lucas Langarit …
The Utah men’s basketball team has seven international players on its 2025-26 roster.
Of those foreign talents, two — Jacob Patrick (Germany) and Lucas Langarita (Spain) — arrived to Salt Lake City after competing in one of the many professional leagues Europe has to offer.
Recruiting players from pro circuits overseas has grown in popularity over the past few years (just ask Gonzaga and Arizona how its worked out for them), but with the rise of NIL and the challenges the NCAA has enforcing its eligibility rules in court, more and more NBA and NBA G League players alike are looking for avenues that lead back to college.
Utah has explored whether those paths are a viable option for the program as well, according to Runnin’ Utes head coach Alex Jensen.
“We’ve explored all that,” Jensen said Tuesday when asked whether he’d consider adding a G-League player or more professional players from Europe to the roster. “It’s interesting because there’s still a lot of questions of who has eligibility and who doesn’t, and you’re trying to anticipate how those rules are going to change.”
Jensen, a former assistant coach with the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks, has an understanding of how college and the NBA operate. The professionalization of the collegiate game has started to blur the lines between it and the pro level over the past few years, though, allowing for former second round pick James Nnaji to join Baylor midway through the season and Charles Bediako to return from the G League to Alabama.
Amari Bailey, who entered the 2023 NBA Draft after playing one season at UCLA, is striving to become the first person to return to college after playing in NBA games. Bailey made 10 appearances for the Charlotte Hornets after being selected by the franchise in the second round of the 2023 draft.
At the moment, Utah doesn’t have anyone on its roster with that kind of experience. Patrick has the richest pro background, having played four seasons with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg out of the German BBL prior to joining the Runnin’ Utes for the 2025-26 campaign. Langarita, a 6-foot-5 guard who joined the team in December, averaged 16.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in nine games with Casademont Zaragoza in the ACB U22 league.
The teams that have enlisted a former G League player or NBA draft pick have been subject to scrutiny by fans, coaches, media members and the president of the NCAA himself, Charlie Baker, who in a statement released in December said that the NCAA “has not and will not grant eligibility” to anyone who has signed an NBA contract before.
Gonzaga head coach Mark Few gave his perspective on the “wild” landscape following a Dec. 28 game at Pepperdine.
“It’s just wild out there right now,” Few said. “I mean, we really don’t have any organization or any real rules right now, and so guys are just trying to do whatever they can do. Until there’s a rule that says you can’t do it, it’s hard to blame anybody for doing what they’re doing.”
To Few’s point: until there are hard and fast rules stopping coaches from doing something they think will give them an edge, they’re going to look into it.
“We haven’t focused on one thing, but I think it’s the type of player,” Jensen said. “But yeah, we’ve explored all that.”
Here’s more of what Jensen had to say about Wednesday’s matchup with Arizona State, what he’s learned in his first year at the helm of his alma-mater and much more during Tuesday’s media availability session.
Reflecting on his first season as Utah’s head coach
“The first year — it’s not an excuse — is never easy, but again, it’s day by day. And when you’re trying to build something, when you know next year rolls around and people come in, they can sense — I’m always hesitant to use the word culture — but what [and] how things are done, and what the expectations are, which has gotten better over the year. Again, being the second year, I think it’ll get better.”
On matchup with the Sun Devils
“I think they’re dangerous, they’re explosive. They can score a lot of points. I think there’s some similarities to Oklahoma State.”
“Hopefully we can be led off of our defense. I think that helps us offensively. Then vice-versa; if we shoot shots on the first and second side, as opposed to the third and fourth, it makes defending them a lot harder, and I think it plays into their strengths.”
On preparing for the transfer portal during the regular season
“That was one of the things that stuck out to me. I knew it was going to be like that, because we’re busy in the season, and that’s the advantage of this year, because obviously we weren’t here [this time last year].”
“You got to have somebody dedicated to that kind of leading that charge, instead of the coaches, because you have games and scouts and the other players that are here. But you kind of have to prep, so when the portal comes, you’ve done that work.”
It’s kind of fun, it’s interesting. It’s similar to the NBA in some aspects, but the pools so many more players, so it’s actually been fun.”
On discussions with players about coming back for next season
“That’s another reason I think you need a general manager, or even a front office, because the communications with agents is crucial because it’s got to be ongoing throughout the year, whether it’s next year or injuries with players. That’s one thing [Utah general manager Wes Wilcox] has been invaluable for us, because he has those conversations and leads that charge.”
“We’re in those discussions at the same time as trying to win the next game. But I don’t know how you do it without somebody like Wes.”
After weeks of reports saying that the Jazz were likely not going to make any big moves at the trade deadline, Utah’s front office dropped a nuke on the NBA landscape that nobody — Jazz fan or not — …
After weeks of reports saying that the Jazz were likely not going to make any big moves at the trade deadline, Utah’s front office dropped a nuke on the NBA landscape that nobody — Jazz fan or not — saw coming.
On Tuesday morning, the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to send former defensive player of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah along with Jock Landale, Vince Williams Jr. and John Konchar. In return, Memphis received rookie Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, George Niang, Kyle Anderson and three future first-round picks.
This trade left Jazz fans with a lot of excitement, confusion, frustration and seemingly every possible feeling in between.
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Let’s take an in-depth look at what this trade means for the Jazz this season, and for the years to come.
JJJ analysis
Jackson is listed at 6-foot-10 and 242 pounds, making him a really big power forward — which is the position that he should play.
Statistically speaking, he is not having his best season, but to his defense, it’s hard to put up great performances when your franchise cornerstone never plays and there is no plan in place for the future. He’s averaging three less points than he did in his all-star season last year (19.2 ppg) in similar minutes, and he didn’t even sniff the all-star ballot.
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But we’ve seen Jackson be great in the NBA before. He’s made the all-star team twice in his eight-year career, which is impressive since he was only the second-best player on his own team. He’s never made an all-NBA team, but he has made the first-team all-defense twice and the second-team just last season. In 2023, he led the league in blocks and took home his first and only defensive player of the year award.
Jackson has two very glaring weaknesses:
He can’t rebound.
He fouls a lot.
For a guy his size, his rebounding numbers are pretty atrocious, only averaging 5.6 in his career. This season, he is averaging a career-worst 0.9 offensive boards a game. He is one of the worst rebounding big men the league has to offer.
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And for as good of a rim protector as he is, he fouls a lot. This season, he is fourth in the league in fouls per game with 3.8. This has been a problem his whole career, and the numbers are pretty consistently bad. There’s no sign of it going down anytime soon.
But even with his flaws, Jackson is one of the premier shot blockers in the league, and his offensive skill set is as good as any Jazz big man in recent memory.
How does JJJ fit in with the Utah Jazz?
The vision seems to be pretty clear for the Utah Jazz: It’s all about size.
The Jazz could run a lineup of 7-foot-1 Lauri Markkanen at the small forward, 6-foot-10 Jackson at the four and 7-foot-2 Walker Kessler at center. That would be one of the biggest front courts in the NBA, and all three of those guys are top 100 players in the league.
The pairing of Jackson and Kessler actually really makes sense. Kessler’s stellar rebounding abilities could nullify Jackson’s lack thereof. Plus, I don’t think many people are going to want to try to finish at the rim with Kessler and Jackson awaiting them. Together, the two will average about 4 blocks a game.
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One issue with this grouping is that none of the three players mentioned are known for their playmaking and ball movement abilities. Between Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler, the three only have a career average of 4.2 assists per game. That’s not nothing, and I think people are valid to have a concern about the team’s ability to create.
This is where the glorious hypotheticals come in.
Let’s say the Jazz get lucky in the lottery in May and wind up with the No. 1 selection. As of today, I think the obvious choice would be Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, who could really help on the playmaking side of things for the Jazz.
Utah could see a lineup of Keyonte George, Peterson, Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler, plus Ace Bailey coming off the bench. That’s a really talented starting five and one that has a clear direction and chance to make the playoffs.
But make no mistake, the Jazz could still make moves before the start of next year. They’re going to have to pay to keep Kessler around, they already are paying Markkanen over $40 million, Jackson will make $50 million a year for four years starting next season and George will be looking at a deserved sizable extension next year too. It’ll be an expensive starting unit.
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I don’t love Jackson at the five, which is why I think pairing him with Kessler is so vital, but will such a unique lineup work? I wouldn’t be surprised if more trades happen over the next eight months.
What about the other pieces in the trade?
The Jazz aren’t losing sleep over giving up Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang. The big “loss” was cutting ties with former No. 9 pick Taylor Hendricks and last year’s No. 18 selection Walter Clayton Jr.
Hendricks has not impressed in his first season coming off of a gruesome leg injury and was struggling to get minutes for a team that could desperately use anyone to step up. He logged zero minutes in four of the Jazz’s last six games. Clayton didn’t show much for the Jazz to be sad that he is no longer on the team, but I am still curious to see how he pans out in the league.
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The three picks given up are as follows:
The most favorable 2027 pick between the Jazz, Timberwolves and Cavaliers.
The Lakers 2027 first-round pick, top-four protected.
The Suns’ 2031 first-round pick, unprotected.
Giving up the Suns’ 2031 pick is rough. All signs point to that pick being pretty valuable, but to do big trades you have to give up big assets.
Two of the three other players that the Jazz got in the deal really intrigue me: Vince Williams Jr. and Jock Landale.
Williams is going to really help with the playmaking concerns if he is also on the team next year. In only 20 minutes a game he averages 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He doesn’t shoot as well as one would hope, shooting only 32.0% from deep, but it’s not deplorable by any means. He also immediately becomes one of the Jazz’s best on-ball defenders, a skill that Utah desperately needs.
Landale is having a career year, — albeit on a bad team — averaging 11.3 points per game on 38.3% 3-point shooting. Anybody that can shoot that well from deep will always be welcome on an NBA roster.
Conclusion
I see what the Jazz are doing. It is the first time since the Mitchell-Gobert era that Utah seems to now have a clear direction, which is refreshing.
Even with the concerns about fit or style of play, I think Will Hardy has shown that he is a good enough coach to make things work. I expect the Jazz to be a playoff team next season.
But even with this newfound faith that has been instilled in the Jazz, they still need to get a top-three pick in this year’s draft. The whole purpose of this rebuild has been to build a championship-level team, and the Jazz are not one without Peterson, AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer.
